The present invention relates to an icon menu display apparatus having an icon menu for displaying a plurality of icons representing a variety of functions, a method of displaying the icon menu, and a method of operating the icon menu display apparatus.
A method of displaying an icon menu for indicating a plurality of icons representing a variety of functions such as an icon menu for a document preparation apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 5-28157 is generally known in which a plurality of icons are arranged in a matrix of m rows and n columns. The m and n each represents a given integer. For example, the icon menu disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Publication is composed of a matrix of 2 rows and 5 columns.
Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 3-222033 discloses a method for accessing data by means of images. In this method, a first window is opened to display an image of a job site, the image including animated icons that can be opened and closed. Dragging one of the animated icons in the first window with a mouse automatically creates a second window in which a variety pieces of stored data are displayed.
An icon menu such as the above-mentioned icon menu of the document preparation apparatus disclosed in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 5-28157, in which the plurality of icons are displayed in a matrix, presents a particular problem. Namely, for a user to select a desired function of the apparatus via the plurality of displayed icons, it is necessary for him or her to determine an icon corresponding to the desired function only by the icon's pattern and/or accompanying text. If the user is an expert user, there is no problem in quickly identifying necessary icons because he or she is well versed in the relationships between the icons and the functions and an layout of the icons. However, for a novice user, it takes time for him or her to understand the relationships and it is difficult to grasp the layout, sometimes resulting in an icon selection error.
In the above-mentioned method of accessing data by means of images as disclosed in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 3-222033, animated icons such as drawers and doors are opened or closed, in windows, by dragging the mouse to retrieve a variety of pieces of data such as a personnel file or move to another application. This method, however, makes it difficult to distinguish individual icons that respond to a mouse operation from a background of the icons that do not respond to it. This method also makes it difficult for the user to know a function from a selected icon. Further, multiple windows make the icons relatively small, thereby making it difficult for the user to select individual icons with ease. Still further, in the above-mentioned method, the background image and the icons in the first windows are in a fixed relationship, so that the user cannot modify the relationship as he or she likes.